Current:Home > InvestLottery scams to watch out for as Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots soars -Quantum Capital Pro
Lottery scams to watch out for as Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots soars
View
Date:2025-04-16 19:04:16
As the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots grow larger, people buying lottery tickets should be on the lookout for scams.
The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $875 million after there were no winners in Wednesday night's drawing. The estimated jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing slated for Friday night is up to $560 million.
More than 460,000 Americans reported losing a total of more than $330 million to lottery-related scams over a recent three-year period, according to the Better Business Bureau. There are common scams to be on the lookout for while playing the lottery.
The scams usually involve getting a call, email or letter saying you won a sweepstakes, lottery, or prize, according to the Federal Trade Commission. If you didn't buy a ticket, ignore any notices saying you've won the lottery. If you did play, there are prize scams to look out for, including being asked to pay in order to get prizes.
"Do not send money! If you are asked to pay a fee to claim a prize, you are likely being scammed," Powerball notes on its website. "This includes cashier's checks, money orders or any type of prepaid card."
Scammers will often ask people to pay this way because it's hard to track who the money went to, according to the FTC. It's also almost impossible for victims to get their money back.
The agency and lotteries say players should never share personal or financial information. Scammers will try to get the information by offering to wire prize money directly into your bank account.
According to Powerball, lotteries will never contact players via email or social media to tell them that they've won a prize unless they've specifically entered an official lottery promotion or contest. People should never accept a collect call from someone claiming to be a lottery official.
If you get a lottery message in the mail, the FTC advises checking the postmark on the envelope or postcard. If it was mailed by bulk rate, it means many other people got the same lottery notice. People can also head online and search for lottery messages to see if other people have received similar notices.
A message saying you've won a foreign lottery is likely a scam because it's against federal law for U.S. citizens to participate in a foreign lottery.
If you think you're being scammed, you can call the lottery in your jurisdiction and ask for the security department. You can also report it to consumer protection offices and law enforcement agencies.
Aliza ChasanAliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.
TwitterveryGood! (532)
Related
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Supreme Court will take up state bans on gender-affirming care for minors
- Take Your July 4th Party From meh to HELL YEAH With These Essentials
- Summer camps are for getting kids outdoors, but more frequent heat waves force changes
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Florida rapper Foolio killed in shooting during birthday celebration
- Why Reggie Jackson's powerful remarks on racism still resonate today
- Ancient cargo recovered from oldest shipwreck ever found in Mediterranean Sea, Israeli archaeologists say
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- One dead, seven injured after shooting at Kentucky nightclub
Ranking
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Is Trump shielded from criminal charges as an ex-president? A nation awaits word from Supreme Court
- New Mexico heavy rain and flash flooding prompt mandatory evacuations in Las Vegas
- 3 Columbia University administrators put on leave over alleged text exchange at antisemitism panel
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- ‘Inside Out 2' scores $100M in its second weekend, setting records
- New York’s Chronically Underfunded Parks Department Is Losing the Fight Against Invasive Species, Disrepair and Climate Change
- Cameron Young shoots the 13th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history at the Travelers Championship
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
South Korea summons Russia's ambassador over Moscow's new pact with North as inter-Korean tensions keep rising
LGBTQ+ librarians grapple with attacks on books - and on themselves
Hawaii Five-0 actor Taylor Wily dead at 56
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
Taylor Wily, 'Hawaii Five-0' and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' actor, dies at 56
Barry Sanders reveals he had 'health scare' related to his heart last weekend
2024 College World Series highlights: Tennessee beats Texas A&M, forces Game 3